June 2011

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The creatures in Howie Tsui’s Horror Fables are mischievious in the way they spill over from their physical boundaries in paintings and their conceptual cubicles in Asian folklore. They’re colourful and messy and they’re up for one more day at Centre A Gallery at West Hastings and Carrall.
Some of Tsui’s demons and spirits and ghosts are painted right onto the wall. He’s taken advantage of several architectural features such as air/heat ducts so ... Read More …

In a country with one of the lowest female employment rates in the European Union, Italy’s working women took another big hit recently.
The engineering firm Ma-Vib, which is based in Inzago, near Milan, has sparked controversy after making almost half its workforce redundant – and selecting only women, according to reports from The Guardian newspaper.
A union official quoted in the story said the company reported to the small businesses association: “We are firing the women so they can stay ... Read More …

Vancouver city council voted unanimously to increase Vancouver Public Library funding in order to open the new Terry Salman Branch this fall, VPL said in a news release. The approved increase is $391,000 in 2011 and $957,000 in 2012, which will go toward paying for staff. The library asked for more money because they want the library’s hours to match the community centre’s hours. The branch will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday ... Read More …

Metacognition, credit cards and the science of shopping
By guest blogger Laura Thomas
Impromptu dinners out, spontaneous shopping sprees and all that good, but over-priced, festival fare are just some of the ways consumers might cross the line this long weekend and send their balanced budgets into the red. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Even with all those little financial decisions looming large this weekend, there is no reason to jeopardize the ... Read More …

A recent poll found that quarter of Canadians have no debt and more than half of Canadians do not carry a credit card balance.
This is encouraging news following all the recent coverage on high debt levels that would have us believe Canadians are poor money managers.
Half of Canadians feel their level of debt is manageable, and 17 per cent feel overwhelmed by their debt, according to the Harris/Decima poll for Scotiabank which surveyed 1,003 Canadians in ... Read More …

As the property tax deadline looms in British Columbia, you may want to check the balance owing on your tax bill.If you live in Vancouver, you’ll not only be able to find out how much you owe but also if any of your neighbors, your boss, or any other Vancouver homeowner has been slow in paying or is delinquent with past taxes.For residents who pay a Vancouver utility bill, you can also check ... Read More …

Brady Fotheringham
On Thursday, July 14, family and friends of Brady Fotheringham gathered in Vancouver to celebrate his life. In the cavernous old home of Charles and Rose Rally, more than 70 people gathered to pay their respects. From senators to former deputy attorneys-general to publishers and agents, people who knew Brady as he hung around his dad Allan came out to support Allan, Anne, Sallye, Kip, Cesca and the family.
At the celebration Allan ... Read More …

No Puppy Mills Canada has a simple message. Only shop at pet stores that sell supplies and not animals to help in the fight against puppy mills and backyard breeders. I came across its website while researching the seven part-dog series that started last Saturday and today features a story on why not to buy dogs from the internet. You can read the Vancouver Sun’s story on the subject today by clicking here.
As dog ... Read More …

Canadian book publishers have created a virtual library stocked purely with Canadian books. Found online at www.canadianbookshelf.com, the library is a forum for discovering and discussing Canadian books. Readers can browse and search for Canadian books and authors, find recommended books, book reviews and author interviews. There is even a game where readers can try to ID Canadian book covers. ... Read More …

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As I was reading the material for the annual Dancing on the Edge Festival, one work in particular stood out: Quiet by Arkadi Zaides. It was about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the growing violence and mistrust between both sides. In the world of dance, it’s rare for a work to take on such a ‘political’ story so clearly. Apparently it’s also rare in Israel for dance to do anything but ... Read More …

By guest blogger Laura Thomas
The financial headlines just don’t let up. The TSX/S&P Index closed at 13,104.98 yesterday, up 138.49 points and 1.07 per cent. At midday the exchange is up well over 100 points buoyed by news that the Greek parliament has approved the government’s austerity program. But as investors look forward to Canada Day and a well-earned long weekend of rest and recreation, can they relax?
Maybe not. Glaring up from today’s ... Read More …

Retirement is supposed to be about putting your feet up after a lifetime of hard work and taking time to enjoy the finer things the world has to offer.
No one said anything about risking it all for the betterment of your country.
But that’s exactly what a retired Japanese engineer is asking his fellow senior citizens to consider.
Yasuteru Yamada, 72, is looking for a few good men and women over the age of ... Read More …

Premier Christy Clark’s choice of John Furlong as the co-chair of the provincial review of the Stanley Cup Riot is curious.
There is no doubt that his name recognition will lend instant credibility to this less-than-complete inquiry into the city’s second hockey-induced riot. Furlong, who has a shelf full of honorary degrees as a result of his organizing the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, is clearly a positive force whose involvement will help mitigate the long-term ... Read More …

My column in The Vancouver Sun, June 29, 2011
When the friendly clerk wiped the smile off my face as I posed for my driver’s licence photo a few weeks back, I didn’t ask why.
The penny dropped on Tuesday when I started looking at the Real ID Act of 2005, a bill signed by then U.S. president George Bush that requires states to produce drivers licences that are compatible with facial recognition software.
An ... Read More …

“At a recent social policy conference,” write Sherri Torjman and Ken Battle, the two senior analysts from the Caledon Institute of Social Policy, “both speakers were in complete agreement. “The WITB that resulted from the MISWAA process was a positive development. Though different in design from the CCTB and the NCBS, it nonetheless will dovetail well with these other measures.” If you said, “Huh?” then you’ve grasped the authors’ point perfectly. They ... Read More …

“Economic euthanasia” is the term being used today to explain when vets are asked to put down relatively healthy pets because of their owner’s inability to pay unexpected medical bills.
Although there is no national tracking of when economic euthanasia occurs vets and humane organizations in the United States have noticed an increase since a downturn in the economy, said an article in Veterinary Practice News.
According to the U.S. article humane agencies and shelters are taking the brunt ... Read More …

How do you get your beautiful foxgloves to return year after year?
There is a special trick to it. Here’s a little video that explains a very useful technique for getting seeds to drop and establish themselves in the right place,
Once upon a time, I had dozens of foxgloves in the garden. But over the years, they started disappearing, probably because of over-zealous weeding and fall cleanup.So I was very happy to see foxgloves ... Read More …

There are a few seats left on my 10-day Italy garden tour for September.
This is an especially exciting tour because it not only includes visits to the spectacular gardens of the Milanese lakes but also a fascinating excursion into Switzerland and to the lovely Italian Romeo-and-Juliet town of Verona.
We have also managed to secure rooms in some great hotels, so you will be experiencing the best of accommodation on route.
Here here for more details... Read More …

Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel A Visit From the Goon Squad is next up for the Vancouver Sun’s book club. I’ve read about 100 pages and so far, I am very impressed with this book. It’s a series of short stories, all linked, that move at dizzying speed through time and perspective. It’s going to be a good one for the book club to discuss. Join us — the club will kick off with ... Read More …